Scare Factor: 2.5/5Zombie hollow is located in the back of a working farm (Lewis Farms Inc.) in Gastonia, although you technically drive through Ranlo to get there. Lewis Farm is an educational farm during October with hundreds of schoolkids visiting during the month. (Their website offers: Horse-Drawn Hay Rides, A Corn Maze, Hand-Led Pony Rides, Hay Bale Mountain and Slide, The Chance to Feed Barnyard Animals, and Pick a Pumpkin in their Pumpkin Patch.) Because of that, the haunt is located in the back end of the farm and out of sight of the casual visitor. No particularly scary decor adorns the main body of the farm until you get to the entrance of the haunt where you stand facing an opening in a rickety wooden fence. You can take a hayride to and from the ticket window to the entrance and those are always fun to do at any haunt. You are dropped off at an especially dark section of the farm and start to hear strange noises. As your eyes get adjusted to the gloom, I noticed eerie music emanating from the dark woods and off in the distance, you could hear the sounds of a chainsaw. Wait, is that a second chainsaw in a different part of the haunt? Hold on, there's ANOTHER chainsaw sound just through those trees? (Oh lawd.) Soon our guide came up to our group carrying a rope(!) She told us to hold on for dear life and after a quick rundown of the rules, we entered the forest and began the trail.

Actors: 2.5/5This is a second year haunt and the first year at this location. The owners are constantly adding scenes to the trail. If you went two weeks ago, you would not recognize certain parts of the haunt. The actors are volunteers and there are some young children working. They go through their lines and scenes with gusto and enthusiasm. I talked to the owner afterwards and he mentioned that being a Thursday and a school night, he was not fully staffed but it did not seem like it was a detriment. Many of the actors have lines as oppose to just doing pop scares. The main characters; Death Trap and Overhaul were menacing and over the top with their chainsaws. I think the main thing about the actors is that it's a new haunt with new actors who do need some seasoning. With a bit of tweaking and timing, they could be a really terrifying group of actors. I know they will do nothing but get better with time.

Set Design/Props/FX: 2.5/5No fancy animatronics or expensive props here. This is an outdoor haunt and the props and scenes work nicely with the surroundings. From the spider corridor, to the funeral scene to the 'free candy' van, these props make the haunt primitive and awesome. The woods are dark and VERY spooky in and of itself and if you were dropped in the middle of them, they could truly freak you out. there is fog in the right places, and appropriate lighting to make things murky and hard to see at the right times. I would like to hear a little more ambient music throughout the haunt but the areas where it was silent did make our party uneasy. NOTE: The rains they had earlier in the month closed the event for a couple days and the trail is still uneven in a few places so watch out.

Length: 2.5/5We were in a smaller group and took maybe 20 minutes to walk though. I could see it taking a bit longer in larger groups. No complaints.

Other: 4/5As mentioned before, it's a working for with pumpkin patch, corn maze, horse rides and more. It would be a great place to take the kids for a fun afternoon and take home a couple pumpkins before hitting the haunt at dark. http://www.lewisfarm.org/

Overall: 2.9/5FREE PARKING! Lots of daytime events. I didn't see any concessions, but they do have some merchandise (t-shirts) and you do get to do a hayride before and after the haunt. It is a second year haunt but will be at this new location for the forseeable future and they plan to do a LOT more work on it this season and in the off season. This is a fun haunt that I can see getting better and better in the next few years. I would definitely plan to visit this one before the season ends and if not, make sure to visit next season. I am looking forward to what they do over the next few years. http://www.zombiehollownc.com/